254 A NATUBALIST IN CELEBES ch. x 



At last, the people grew tired of trying to murder one 

 sakit and turned homewards, whilst the sakit fled away to 

 bring the news of his defeat to the others. 



But now followed the vengeance of the sakits. 



That night scarce a house in the camp was free from 

 mourning, for of the thousands that had fought the fight 

 not a tenth part remained alive, and thus the splendour and 

 renown of Kenilo passed away. 



And now follows the moral of the story, ' Henceforth, 

 No ! There shall be no more fights between men and 

 the sakits. In future men shall look for comfort only to 

 the gods, and, by duly honouring and propitiating them at 

 feasts, hope to check the power of the demons (23).' 



In a religion such as this, with a formidable array of 

 deities and spirits, whose wills have to be made known from 

 time to time to erring humanity, we have, as might be 

 expected, a number of priests, who officiate at the feasts 

 and religious ceremonies, and act as mouthpieces of the 

 gods. 



In early times it was only the members of the oldest 

 famiUes who officiated at the services, but with the gradual 

 distribution of the clans over a wider area, and the increase 

 in the number of ceremonies and liturgies, priestcraft 

 became a profession, practised only by those who had given 

 a considerable time to the study of the gods and their 

 ceremonies. 



In the northern districts the priests were chiefly men, 

 but in the south they were principally women. The chief 

 priests were the walians, whose duty it was to preside over 

 the fossos, to lead the singing-declamation of the names of 

 the gods and their history, to teach the young, to advise 

 and help the sick, to maintain the holy fire, and to officiate 

 at all ceremonies of a religious nature. As a symbol of 

 their office, they carried a notched stick, by which they 



